Who Would've Thought?
by Knightmare Dragon
Summary: Who would've thought that in a few short minutes, everything I loved would be ripped right out of my hands? Who would've thought that I'd have the strength to fight against death itself? And who would've thought that with all my perseverance, I'd get a happy ending from this death game after all?


_**A/N:**_ Hey there avid readers! So, as I promised a few weeks ago, I've been writing some more fics because it's the summer and what not. This one I finished about a week ago but waited until yesterday to post it because yesterday was my birthday, so I wanted to post it, kind of like a present for myself, and like a reverse birthday present for you guys, for taking the time to read and review my stories. :D So, it's being posted today because I was simply too busy yesterday, right from the start. I've also been so busy recently that this is the only story I've got finished at the moment, so I'm working on one or two others before I return to school soon. So bear with me until then, because I am also lacking some majorly needed ideas right now, alright? So, sorry for boring all of you that actually read this, and away we go with the story. It's based from Kirito's point of view about how he feels from the fight with Heathcliff, right up to his return to the real world. Enjoy!

_**Disclaimer:** _I do not in any way own Sword Art Online. Would've been a great birthday present to wake up to though, owning Sword Art Online...

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_**Who would've thought?**_

"I believe in you, Kirito-kun."

Asuna. The only person in all of SAO who could have reassured me at a time like this. But those words alone had done so much more than that. They had given me the courage, strength and will to fight this last battle. No, to _win _this last battle, for everyone's sake, especially Asuna's. Those words had given me a sense of security about the one I loved most. They let me know that she had faith in me and would let me do this alone, the way I wanted it to be. At least the worst situation that could come of this is that I would lose this duel to the death, not going down without a fight, hoping that my friends would complete the task at which I failed in twenty-five floors time. Or so I thought. I've never had the best of luck these past two years, have I? Even when my Elucidator is halfway across the room and I'm lying on the ground, clutching the shattered remains of my Dark Repulser, awaiting my death, I still haven't come to experience the worst this day has to throw at me yet. Life really has it in for me sometimes...

Now, I know how it feels to be truly torn apart and destroyed, as I hold Asuna's rapidly dissipating body in my hands, staring at the long, deep scar that now runs across my wife's chest. I feel desperately heartbroken at the fact that Asuna has just saved me, at the cost of her own life, because she truly loves me, and there's nothing I can do to save her, only watch helplessly as my bride is slowly taken away from me, never to return. I gaze deeply into her hazel eyes one final time, while the tears begin welling up behind my own, until she says, in a barely audible whisper, "I'm sorry. Goodbye, Kirito-kun." Then there's a flash of bright light, and just like that, my whole world is suddenly torn away from me.

As the tears begin to fall, I claw at the air, desperately trying to grasp some of Asuna's glittering remains before they float away, to have a piece of her to hold onto. I feel slightly better when I do manage to catch one, but even that tiny ounce of happiness is sucked away from me as this final sparkle of my dearest disappears right in the palms of my hands. While I quickly recollect the times we spent together, feelings cycle through my brain, from friendship, to love, to strength, to despair, to agony, and finally, to loathing, as I turn around to face the man whom I can blame for all of this. Kayaba Akihiko. I dry my tears, Asuna would want me to be strong. I go and pick up my Elucidator. I will finish this, and finally bring an end to the torture that so many of us have suffered through for two long years, for Asuna.

But my mind still isn't functioning properly after I lost the most important person in the world to me. Still, I try to fight, but only manage two aimless swings because my mind is clouded with rage and sorrow, before my Elucidator clatters to the ground once more, not far from where it lay only minutes ago, and before I am once again brought to my knees, this time with a blade through my own chest, with no Asuna to save me again. I gaze at the life bar in the corner of my vision, only to see it slowly depleting. Silently, I curse myself. For having been granted a second chance to save everyone by Asuna's self-sacrifice, only to go and blindly abuse and waste it. I hate myself right now.

By this time, my HP bar is about to hit zero, and Kayaba tells me about how he "Expected more from someone who figured out his identity." Then my eyes reluctantly start closing as I begin to slip away from this world. The 'You Are Dead' message flashes before me and I know that this is it. That this is Game Over. I couldn't do it. I couldn't win. I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry Asuna. Asuna. Her name is repeatedly sounding inside my fading head. This isn't it, this _can't _be it. No, for everyone's sake, for Asuna's sake, this is not the end. This is not Game Over. I must be victorious in this final battle, no matter what.

Slowly, I open my eyes. "Not yet," I utter as I gradually get back on my feet, grabbing Asuna's Lambent Light as I do so, the one and only piece of her that I have left. "I'm not finished yet," I say defiantly, shocking everyone that I'm still alive and kicking, Kayaba included. I let Lambent Light's sheath drop to the floor and I take a few steps forward, each one eliciting more pain than the one before it from my chest, where the sword still penetrates me. I think of everyone: Egil, Silica, Liz, my friends from my old guild, Klein, and finally, and most prominently, Asuna. The thoughts of these people give me the final surge of strength I need, and I pierce Kayaba's body with the rapier, which right now holds the most special of meanings to me. We stand stock still for a few seconds, our eyes locked in what would seem to be a staring contest to the death, if that's at all possible. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as my adversary's health bar finally reaches zero and I realise that I've done it. I've overcome my greatest opponent, and death itself. I've proved why Asuna believes in me. I've freed everyone from this death trap. And finally, I've become the hero I've always dreamt of becoming. I think I actually see Kayaba smirk before he disappears, I begin to hear an announcement that the game has been cleared, and I black out and fade from Aincrad, feeling at last that I've fulfilled my duty.

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I awaken to find myself upright on a glass platform, surrounded by clouds and a beautiful orange sky. It looks to be almost sunset. I'm still wearing my SAO gear, but I have no weapons. Where am I? What's going on? That all leaves my mind when I see an all-too-familiar figure sitting on the edge of this platform. Could it really be? Surely not. But then the figure turns around and I find myself staring into those same hazel eyes I thought I saw leave me forever not too long ago, and my mind is finally put to rest. My heart isn't though, and I almost have an emotional breakdown right where I'm standing.

"K-K-Kirito-kun? Is that really you?" she asks, because obviously she's as stunned to see me here as I am to see her.

"I guess I died too," I joke, because I'm so excited to see her again that it's all I can manage to think of with my mind's rampaging elation.

"You dummy," she retorts before we launch ourselves into each other's arms. I bury my face into her long, chestnut hair for quite a while, as she nestles her head into my chest.

I simply cannot believe this. I cannot believe how things have turned around completely and gotten so much better for me. Compared to how this day started, I can say this is the complete opposite, and I'm happy for that. So let's see, I won my final battle, saved everyone and was reunited with Asuna, whom I would never be able to live without. I think that it's safe to say that this day is just becoming better and better.

I pull Asuna into a long, deep kiss. It's absolutely blissful, for both of us I'm sure, and my mind forgets about everything else except for the girl, woman even, in front of me. When we finally pull apart, we go to sit down where I first saw Asuna here, and she points out to me how we're above a crumbling Aincrad. Then, a figure in a white coat appears not too far from us, and when I realise who it is, I instinctively put my arm protectively around Asuna. For the man before us is Kayaba Akihiko. He insists though that he has no sinister intents and instead he explains to us why he had created SAO and why he did what he did to us. After he explains to us that all of the remaining players had logged out successfully, I know that the struggles we have faced in Sword Art Online are finally over. Then he disappears, leaving Asuna and myself for what I hope are only our final few minutes in this game world.

By the time we've settled down again, with Asuna's head on my shoulder and my head on her head, Aincrad is almost completely destroyed. We turn to focus on the beautifully orange sunset before us. As we tell each other about our real lives and joke about what we'll do when we finally wake up, I tell Asuna how no matter what, I will find her in the real world and fall in love with her all over again. She's starting to cry now so all she can do is nod her head in response. I gently stroke her hair to try and calm her down. Thankfully it works.

And so, as the sun finally begins to sink below the horizon, and the last remaining pieces of Aincrad crumble away into non-existence, I give Asuna one last, long kiss before I pull her into the tightest embrace I can manage, helped along by the fact that neither of us are going to even think about releasing it, for fear we may lose each other forever. Then, as everything disappears and I take one final glimpse of Asuna, everything goes black. I can only hope that this isn't the end.

Moments later, my eyes blink open after two long years, and I realise after looking around that I'm in a room in a hospital, finally back in the real world, at long last. So now, that means I can go and find the real Asuna Yuuki, and be together with her forever.

Huh, who would've thought that this game would have a happy ending after all?

_**The End.**_

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_**A/N:**___So, what did everyone think? Did you guys like it? Should I write more stories like this in the future? Leave a review below! Go on, you know you want to. Think of it as a birthday present, from you guys to me! :D Thanks for reading, and look out for more of my stories in the near future. Bye for now!  
- Knightmare Dragon.


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